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Seven vie for three seats on a board that helps guide community growth.
By LOGAN D. MABE, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times, published November 1, 2002
WESTCHASE -- For the first time in its existence, there are contested races for seats on the Westchase Community Development District board.
Westchase actually has two CDDs, one for the original development comprising the western part of the neighborhood, and the Westchase East CDD which comprises the Bridges, the Fords, the Greens, West Park Village and the Vineyards.
The posts up for election this year are Westchase East CDD seats 3, 4 and 5. Here are the candidates for each seat.
George Scott Doster is the only incumbent seeking re-election. Doster, 31, is a development director for Gables Residential Trust, the leasing company that manages apartment and commercial real estate in West Park Village.
Doster, of West Park Village, said he wants to continue his work on the board, "to ensure the CDD meets the expectations of the community as efficiently as possible using the most effective methods available."
Doster, has a background in finance, real estate and construction. "I live and work in West Park Village, so I have a strong vested interest in how the community is maintained," he said.
Running against Doster is Steve Grossman, 41, also of West Park Village. Grossman, a systems engineer with TSI Telecommunications Services, is one of the first residents of the community. A former member of the Resident Advisory Committee, Grossman said he wants to join the CDD to bring more accountability and responsiveness to residents who rely on the body to solve problems. Already, he said, many of his neighbors come to him for help on CDD issues. "I feel like I've been doing the job already, so I thought I'd run for it," Grossman said.
Gregory Chesney, 32, has lived in the Wakesbridge village for six years. He is a commercial insurance broker and vice-president for the M.E. Wilson insurance company. Chesney said serving on the CDD would be a way for him to "give back to the community. I saw this as a position that can help me give back."
Chesney said he thinks there is a "level of discontent" with the way the current CDD is governed and that he would encourage reviewing the management regularly.
Also running for the seat is Daryl Manning, 37, a supervising attorney with the State Attorney office in Tampa. Manning, a former Army officer and Gulf War veteran, moved to the Greens village four years ago.
"I became interested in this position because this is my community," Manning said. After spending the day prosecuting wrong-doers, he said return to Westchase is a relief. "When I come back to Westchase, it's like an oasis here, and I want to keep it that way."
Manning stressed that his main qualification for the job is that he has been a supervisor both in the military and in the prosecutor's office, and knows the responsibility that entails.
The third candidate for seat 4 is Lewis A. Patterson, 61, a four-year resident of the Kingsbridge village. Patterson is retired after a career in the Department of Defense.
Patterson, and his wife, Rama, organized the Westchase Seniors Group three years ago and still oversee its operation. Last year, the couple were named Westchase volunteers of the year.
Patterson said his goal is to provide "excellent community maintenance at the least possible cost and to consult with homeowners before supporting fundamental changes that might impact their taxes."
Susan Edgerley, 40, is a four-year resident of the Kingsbridge village. She has worked in in retail management and she currently is a part-time researcher for a commercial property appraiser.
Edgerley serves on the Westchase Government Affairs Committee and helped in the formation of the Upper Tampa Bay Alliance. "I want to keep our community in pristine shape," Edgerley said. "I just think this is a great community and I think I could bring a lot to this job."
Also running for seat 5 is Ernie Sylvester, 61, of the Greens, a retired managed health care executive. Sylvester, who also flew medical evacuation helicopters in the military, moved to Westchase two years ago.
"I feel that I can be a great deal of assistance to this community," Sylvester said. "I do find that the best thing I've ever done in my life is to give back."
The Westchase Community Development District East is governed by three resident supervisors. That board meets monthly with members of the actual CDD and the company that manages it.
CDDs are quasi-governmental taxing districts that have the authority to levy assessments against homeowners to pay off long-term infrastructure bonds and fund regular common area maintenance in the community.
Supervisors are paid $200 per meeting, not to exceed $4,800 a year. The amount is set by Florida statute.
-Information compiled by the World of Westchase was used in this report.